Rice will head to Seoul to attend conservative president-elect Lee Myung-Bak's inauguration on February 25 and also visit Japan and China, Japan's Jiji Press and Kyodo News said, quoting unnamed sources in Washington.

A US embassy spokeswoman declined comment. A Japanese foreign ministry official said no decision had been made on a visit by Rice.

The trip would be Rice's first to the three countries since October 2006 and the reports come amid slow progress in a US-backed six-nation deal on ending North Korea's nuclear drive.

The communist state missed a December 31 deadline to disable its main atomic facilities and give a full declaration of all nuclear programmes, as required under the agreement in return for badly needed aid.

China is the host of the six-way talks, which also include Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States.

Kyodo News said Rice was expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and discuss ongoing plans to realign US forces in the country.

Fukuda said Wednesday he also hoped to visit Seoul for Lee's inauguration amid hopes for better relations between the neighbours with the departure of liberal President Roh Moo-Hyun.

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